Article supporting structure

ABSTRACT

A horizontal platform is shiftable sideways on an underlying carrier frame which in turn is horizontally shiftable on a stationary base at right angles to the platform movement on the carrier frame. A feed screw shifts the carrier frame back and forth on the base, and a friction wheel drive shifts the platform back and forth on the carrier frame.

United States Patent 11 1 Berger et al.

1 1 ARTICLE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE [75] Inventors: Klaus Berger, Munchen; Horst Scheunemann, Taufl irchen, both of Germany [73] Assignee: H. Berthold A.G., Taufkirchen,

' Germany [22] Filed: May 17, 1973 211 App]. No.: 361,235

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data y 7 Germany 7218956 [52] us. Cl 248/429, 74/202, 269/73, 355/53, 355/86 [51] 1nt.Cl..... B60n 1/02 [58] Field of Search 248/429, 424, 184, 287,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,301,931 4/1919 Graver 269/73 1,698,141 1/1929 Mortelmans 355/86 2,207,449 7/1940 Baker 355/86 [451 Oct. 29, 1974 2,244,121 6/1941 Schneider 74/206 3,371,547 3/1968 Eckert et al. 74/206 3,428,387 2/1969 Hall et al. 108/137 3,639,059 2/1972 Strumor 108/102 3,704,945 12/1972 Denis 355/53 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 693,234 8/1964 Canada 355/53' 1,340,731 9/1963 France 355/53 OTHER PUBLICATIONS IBM Tech. Disclosure Bulletin Gredd Vol. 13, No. 6 Nov. 1970 page 1461.

Primary Examiner-Mari0n Parsons, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm1ames E. Nilles [5 7] ABSTRACT A horizontal platform is shiftable sideways on an underlying carrier frame which in turn is horizontally shiftable on a stationary base at right angles to the platform movement on the carrier frame. A feed screw shifts the carrier frame back and forth on the base, and a friction wheel drive shifts the platform back and forth'on the carrier frame.

5 Claims, 2 .Drawing Figures ARTICLE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE The invention relates generally to article supporting structures and it is concerned more particularly with the provision of a horizontal article supporting platform that can be moved selectively in the direction of one or the other of two horizontal axes extending at right angles to each other.

ln many arts it is common to provide platforms which can be slid relative to a stationary Cartesian coordinate system in an exactly reproducible manner such that every point of the platform surface can be defined by a specific coordinate within this coordinate system. For instance, photo-composing apparatuses commonly incorporate so-called mechanical stages by means of which a photosensitive recording surface may be displaced relative to the optical axes'of a stationary projection device such that a character or indicia projected by said projecting device can be placed on any arbitrary point of the recording surface.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved article supporting structure incorporating a slidable platform of the cited type, which can be produced at a relativelylow cost, and which can be moved easily and slid exactly in the direction of two axes extending horizontally .at right angles to each other.

This object is accomplished, according to the invention by providing in an article supporting structure of the mentioned type a tongue and groove arrangement for guiding the platform in one direction; further by providing at least one friction wheel which acts on the underside of the platform so as todrive it in that one direction; by mounting the friction wheel or wheels and the respective part of the tongue and groove arrangement on a carrier frame; and by connecting the carrier frame to sliding members which encompass at least one Stationary guide such that movement of the frame is only possible in a horizontal direction and impossible in the other respective axial direction and in vertical direction.

ln an article supporting structure incorporating the invention rotation of the friction wheel or wheels causes shifting of the platform relative a carrier frame in the direction of one of the two axes of horizontal adjustment, the amountand the direction of such shift being exactly controllable as desired. and the tongue and groove arrangement insuring precise movement of the platform in only the desired direction. The friction wheels and the respective portion of the tongue and groove arrangement together with the carrier frame are moreover shiftable solely in the direction of the other of the two horizontalaxes. In order to confine this movement of the carrier frame to a shift solely in the direction of the other axis the carrier frame is provided with slide blocks which cooperate with a stationary guide element in such a manner that the carrier frame is not only guided precisely in a horizontal direction, but is also securely prevented from moving in a vertical direction. I

In accordance with a further development of the invention two friction wheels are non-rotatably secured to a first shaft and rotatably mounted by means of the latter on the carrier frame so that the platform may be shifted in the direction of one of the two horizontal axes to a desired extent one way or the other by a corresponding rotation of the first shaft.

In a practical embodiment of the invention, the first shaft is inserted into an externally threaded, hollow second shaft which in turn is passed through at least one stationary internally thread member, and one end of said second shaft is rotatably but non-shiftably connected to the carrier frame so that sliding movement of the carrier frame together with the platform in the direction of the other axis can be effected to a desired extent one way or the other by correspondingly rotating the second shaft.

In this manner, it is possible to move the platform to any desired point of a Cartesian coordinate system by rotating the first and second shafts in the proper directions and through the proper number of turns.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the slide blocks are manufactured from a low friction material and are pressed against the guide element from opposite sides with the aid of a bolt passing through the slide blocks and through a hole in the guide element which is elongated in the direction of the other axis. I

Mounting clamps to which the slide blocks are fastened are secured on the underside of a plate member which is rigidly connected to the carrier frame and which guides the platform. The slide blocks are retained on the mounting clamps by screws and spring washers and spring washers are also provided on their play.

The invention will now be described more fully with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the drawing in which:

FIG. lis a schematic vertical section of an article supporting structure comprising drive and guide means constructed and designed in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical section of a base and carrier frame assembly incorporated in the structure shown in FIG. 1;

A platform 1 which is designed here as a mechanical stage for a photo-composing, apparatus comprises a pan 2 and a body. plate'3 which is arranged under the pan and which is rigidly connected to said pan in a manner not shown more fully in the drawing. The body plate 3 lies on a carrier frame plate 4 in sliding relation,

said frame plate being connected to a guide bar 5 which extends in the direction of one of the mentioned two horizontal axes. The bar 5 engages a groove 6 of the body plate 3 and acts as the tongue in a tongue and groove arrangement. The carrier frame plate 4 has recesses 7 and 8 which accommodate the friction wheels 9 and 10. The peripheral contact surfaces of the wheels are coated with a suitable material with a high coefficient of friction and bear against the underside of the bodyplate 3 in order to slide the platform in the direction of the first axis relative to the carrier frame plate 4 by rotating said friction wheels.

The friction wheels 9 and 10 are pinned to a common first shaft 13 by means of pins 12. This shaft projects from under the mechanical stage for actuation by hand or by a suitable drive means, not shown. The first shaft 13 is inserted into a hollow second shaft 14 which is provided with an external thread and is screwed through a nut 15 which is rigidly connected to a stationary base 16 of a mounting frame in a manner not shown herein more detailJOne end of the second shaft 14 projects outwardly from the mechanical stage as well as sleeve 17 such that, although a rotational movement of the second shaft is possible relative to this sleeve, a relative sliding movement of the shaft in axial direction between the sleeve 17 and the second shaft 14 is reliably prevented. The sleeve 17 is secured to a carrier frame 19 by means of a connecting arm l8 and the carrier frame is in turn rigidly connected to the carrier frame plate 4. The first shaft 13 is journaled in the carrier frame 19 so as to permit rotation in a manner which is not illustrated more fully.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the entire assembly which comprisestthe carrier frame 19, frame plate 4, shaft 13, friction wheels-9 and 10 as well as'the sleeve 17 and connecting arm 18 can be slid in the direction of the other of the mentioned two horizontalaxes. The

exact limitation of this movement is defined alone in be slid. The guide beam 26 is provided in a manner not illustrated here with an elongated hole which extends in the other respective axial direction, through which a bolt 28 passes which also passes through the slide blocks 22 and 23. The slide blocks are pressed onto the side surfaces of the guide beam 26 by means of nuts 28,

mounted on the mounting clamps 20 and 21 by means of spring washers 31 also. These spring washers ensure -a certain amount of elasticity in guiding the carrier frameassembly with respect to the guide beam 26 without thereby causing objectionable play between the guide beam and slide blocks.

lt can be readily seen from the drawing that the platform in accordancewith the invention can be moved arbitrarily within the limits provided for a sliding movement by rotating the first shaft 13 and second shaft 14,

any arbitrary point of the support surface being able to assume any optional coordinate within the provided co ordinate system within the set limits. In the case of a mechanical stage for a photo-composing apparatus, a photosensitive recording surface, for example, for setting characters or indicia which is arranged on the pan 2-can thus be advancedin both coordinate directions within one line or several lines disposed one belowthe other on a page and thus can be displaced relative to thestationaryoptical axis of a projection apparatus associated with the photo-composing apparatus. If the characters or indicia are not supposed to be set on a photosensitive surface line for line, it is also possible to move the two shafts l3 and 14 in a coordinated and arbitrary manner at the same time and in accordance with the size thereby causing a sequence of characters or indicia to be arbitrarily distributed over the photo- 29 and spring washers 30. The screws 24 and 25 are sensitive surface.

We claim:

1. An article supporting structure'comprising'a base, a platform carrier and a platform operatively interrelated so as to provide for horizontal shifting of said platform selectively in the direction of one or the other of two horizontal axes at right angles to each other, a feed screw mechanism mounted on said base in cooperative relation to said platform carrier for shifting the latter I along one of said axes, and a friction wheel drive mounted on said carrierframe in underlying cooperative relation to said platform for shifting the latter along the other of said axes; said friction wheel drive com prising a pair of friction wheels, a first shaft mounting said friction wheels coaxially at a fixed spacing from each other and means mounting said first shaft rotatably on said carrier frame, and said feed screw mechanism comprising an externally threaded hollowsecond' shaft surrounding said first shaft, an internally threaded member in cooperative engagement with said externally threaded second shaft; means mounting said externally threaded member on said base; and axial thrust transmitting means rotatably connecting said second shaft with said carrier frame.

2. An article supporting structure comprising a base,

a platform carrier and a. platform operatively interrelated so as to provide for horizontal shiftingof said platform selectively in the direction of .one or-the other of two horizontal axes at right angles to each other, a feed screw mechanism mounted on said base in cooperative relation to said platform carrier for shifting the latter along one of said axes, a friction wheel drive mounted on said carrier frame in underlying cooperative relation to said platform for shifting the latter along the other of said axes, a stationary guide beam for said carrier frame extending in the direction of said one axis, and pressure means operatively interposed between said guide beam and said carrier framefor releasably retaining the latter in its shifted positions along said one axis, said pressure means comprising slide blocks of low fric-' tion material at opposite sides, respectively, of said guide beam; fastening means connecting said slide blocks to said carrier frame for movement therewith relative to said guide beam; and load transmitting means urging said slide blocks against opposite sides, respectively, of said guide beam.

3. An article supporting structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein said slide blocks are connected by fastening screws to-mounting clips at the under side of a horizontal plate member of said carrier frame.

4. An article supporting structure as set forth in claim 5. An article supporting structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein spring washers are operatively associated withsaid fastening means connecting said slide blocks with said carrier frame, and with said load transmitting means urging said slide blocks against said guide beam. 

1. An article supporting structure comprising a base, a platform carrier and a platform operatively interrelated so as to provide for horizontal shifting of said platform selectively in the direction of one or the other of two horizontal axes at right angles to each other, a feed screw mechanism mounted on said base in cooperative relation to said platform carrier for shifting the latter along one of said axes, and a friction wheel drive mounted on said carrier frame in underlying cooperative relation to said platform for shifting the latter along the other of said axes; said friction wheel drive comprising a pair oF friction wheels, a first shaft mounting said friction wheels coaxially at a fixed spacing from each other and means mounting said first shaft rotatably on said carrier frame, and said feed screw mechanism comprising an externally threaded hollow second shaft surrounding said first shaft, an internally threaded member in cooperative engagement with said externally threaded second shaft; means mounting said externally threaded member on said base; and axial thrust transmitting means rotatably connecting said second shaft with said carrier frame.
 2. An article supporting structure comprising a base, a platform carrier and a platform operatively interrelated so as to provide for horizontal shifting of said platform selectively in the direction of one or the other of two horizontal axes at right angles to each other, a feed screw mechanism mounted on said base in cooperative relation to said platform carrier for shifting the latter along one of said axes, a friction wheel drive mounted on said carrier frame in underlying cooperative relation to said platform for shifting the latter along the other of said axes, a stationary guide beam for said carrier frame extending in the direction of said one axis, and pressure means operatively interposed between said guide beam and said carrier frame for releasably retaining the latter in its shifted positions along said one axis, said pressure means comprising slide blocks of low friction material at opposite sides, respectively, of said guide beam; fastening means connecting said slide blocks to said carrier frame for movement therewith relative to said guide beam; and load transmitting means urging said slide blocks against opposite sides, respectively, of said guide beam.
 3. An article supporting structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein said slide blocks are connected by fastening screws to mounting clips at the under side of a horizontal plate member of said carrier frame.
 4. An article supporting structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein a mounting bolt for said slide blocks extends through an elongated aperture of said guide beam accommodating back and forth transverse movement of said mounting bolt in the direction of said other axis.
 5. An article supporting structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein spring washers are operatively associated with said fastening means connecting said slide blocks with said carrier frame, and with said load transmitting means urging said slide blocks against said guide beam. 